100 Years In Manoa

I just wanted to thank you for the opportunity to be interviewed by your students Wednesday, Oct. 3. It was so much fun, and the kids did such a great job. I was very impressed! I know what a big undertaking this must be, but what a worthwhile one! I can't wait to see the finished product(s). I wrote up a little piece on it for the Honolulu Advertiser community website. You can access it here: myadvertiser.com/manoa

Thank you again!

Kristen Lum Brummel, ’96

Mid-Pacific Institute’s Cherished Past: 100 Years in Manoa Remembered

My alma mater, Mid-Pacific Institute (MPI), is currently preparing for a celebration commemorating 100 years on its beautiful Manoa campus. In honor of the occasion, the sixth grade teachers and students are undertaking a very meaningful project to record and share the oral histories of the MPI alumni, friends, and families in the Manoa neighborhood.

Today I had the opportunity to participate in one of two sessions of scheduled interviews with the sixth graders. Approximately thirty of us alumni (from graduating classes ranging from 1926 to 1996) met in the MPI auditorium, where we were warmly welcomed and introduced to the sixth grade students who would be interviewing us. I was paired with two enthusiastic boys, Nicholas and Firas. The boys had previously written questions asking about my life as a student at MPI, and during the interview, they took careful notes of my answers. The boys also tape recorded the interview, so that they could refer to the tape when writing their oral history report. They explained that the sixth grade hoped to compile all of the oral histories into a published book that they would present to MPI, the alumni and community participants, and the students. Their project is entitled, “Our Cherished Past: 100 Years in Manoa Remembered.”

The interview was so much fun!

100 years is a long time, especially in MPI history. In talking with the older alumni, I realized that their memories of MPI were centered around dorm life and a whole set of traditions and activities that have since changed. Their memories are very different from the ones that I hold in my heart. But even though I did not dorm, MPI was also a home for me. As I shared with Nicholas and Firas, it was a place where I felt completely safe and cared about. It was a place where I was nurtured and inspired by knowledgeable, passionate teachers and staff. And it was a place where I found my place, surrounded by amazing opportunities and good friends who encouraged me to grow in positive ways.

How often do we have the chance to really reminisce and talk about our “good old high school days?” More than that, how often is someone really listening? Thank you to the Mid-Pacific sixth grade students for really listening to all of the stories that we have to tell. I, for one, can’t wait to see your finished project.

Posted on October 10, 2007 10:07 AM | Permalink